Steering device.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.4

G. A. GEMMER. STEERING DEVICE. PrLIoA'rIoN FILED 11110.29. 1905.

a annua-snm 1A No. 829,006. Y PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

0. A. GBMMER.

STEERING, DEVIUB.

APPLICATION FILED DEOJB. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed December 29, 1905. Serial NoA 293.785.

To (it/, wir/0mJ it may concern:

Be it kndwn that I, GEORGE A. GEMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steering devices, but more particularly to steering devices for automobiles.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a durable and highly ef'licient device of this character capable of withstandingr the numerous strains and jolts that such a device is subject to.

In my improved construction I employ a rocker member with actuating mechanism connected to and operated by the steeringwheel, s'aid rocker member having suitable connections to the part to be connected, say, the front wheel or wheels of an automobile, the construction and arrangement of the parts being such that movement of the steering-wheel 1n either direction will produce an' oscillating or rocking movement of the rocker and a corresponding movement of the wheels under control.

Preferably the rocker member is formed integrally with the rock-shaft, to which a rigid arm forming a part of the connections to the wheel is secured, and the actuating means for the rocker member comprises a r0- tatable steering-head having reversely threaded connections with two actuating members which bear upon the rocker at o posite sides of its center of oscillation, said actuating members being in the form of threaded sleeves. I also provide suitable means limiting the reciprocation of the sleeves and actuating members and for guiding them in their movements.

Another important element of my invention resides in suoli a construction and arrangement of the several parts that lost mo tion due to wear may be taken up by a single simple adjustment, and desirable for this purpose the actuating members, steeringhead, and adjusting mechanisms and rockerbcarings are arranged in line with each other and are of annular form, whereby connection is made for carrying the usual controls of the steering-wheel.

u With these and other objects in view the Invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and

particularly' pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the steeringr device. Fig. 2is a cross-section below the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. F ig; 3 is an elevation of the threaded head on the steering-rod, the latter partially broken away. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one ofthe sleeves. Fig. 5 is a cross-section below the line 5 5 ofFig. 1. Fig. 6 is an elevation of my device applied to the steering-wheel, with parts broken away and other parts in section; andFig. 7 is a front elevation of the lower part of the steering device shown in eferring to the drawings by numerals, 8 represents a rocker, slightly concave on its lower side, as shown at 9, and provided at either end with the seats 1() and 11, pivotally mounted on said rocker. 12 and 13 are journals, preferably formed integral with saidrocker, one of said journals being extended, as shown at 14, and ada ted to receive an arm 15, rigidly secured tlgereto in any suitable manner-as, for example, by the nut 16 and threaded portion of the journal, as shown at 17.

18 is a casing provided with the lower members 19 and 2() of boxes in which the journals 12 and 13 are seated, said casing being recessed, as shown at 21, to permit the rocker to rock therein.

22 is a tube secured to the casing vin any suitable manner, as shown at 23, passing through the rocker, the latter being provided with an elongated aperture 24 to permit its free movement.

25 is the usual steering-wheel, secured to the usual shaft 2G in any suitable manner, said shaft being provided with the steeringhead 27, secured thereto in any suitable manner, reverscly threaded interiorly and exteriorly, as shown at 28 and 29.

30 and 31 represent threaded sleeves engaging, respectively, with the external and internal threads of the head, said sleeves having extensions 32 and 33, which engage the rocking seats 1() and 11 and guide portions 34 and 35, which prevent rotation and coinpel endwise movement of the sleeves and their extensions. 36 is a casing inclosing said head and sleeves, being adapted to rest upon the casing 18 and secured thereto by any suitable means, as shown by the screws 37. Said casing is provided with the upper members 38 and 39 of the journal-boxes 19 and IOO IIO

20, registering with said boxes on the lower casing and the sides ol' which are provided with ribs 40 and 4] between` which the guides 34 and 35 are adapted to travel. 42 is a shoulder formed on the interior of said casinaY to limit the x'novenient olE the guides, and consequently of the sleeves and their extensions. The neck 43 of the casing 36 is preferably constructed to lit closely the upper end of the steering-head 27 and is threaded interiorly and exteriorly, as shown at 37 and 38. The inner portion of said neck is adapted to receive an annular nut 39, and the outer portion of said neck is adapted to receive a clampingring 40, whereby the nut 39 is firmly held in position. Interposcd between the head and the nut is the ring 41, resting upon the shoulder 42 of the steering-head and provided with a raceway 43 for the ball-bearings 44, and 45 is a groove in the lower portion of the nut 39 to form the upper raceway for the balls 44.

46 is a ball at the end of the arm 15 to form a portion of the usual ball-and-socket joint forming?T a part of the connections to the front wheel. 47 is a casing surrounding said apparatus.

In order that the usual controls, such as the throttle and the spark-advancer, may be conveniently ap )lied, I preferably construct my device of tubing, so that there may be a continuous passage from the steering-wheel to the base, which necessitates an aperture in the sleeve 31, as shown at 4S, through which )asses the tube 22, this also adding to the stalJility of the structure.

In operating my device it is first secured in any of the well-known ways to the body of' the car and the arm 15 connected in the preferred form to one of the steerin -knuckles 4o byanysuitable rod or lever. Then yamovement of the steering-wheel, which is connected to the shaft 26, movement is imparted to the sleeves and their respective extensions, according to the direction in which the steering-wheel is turned` As the extensions bear upon the seats on. the rocker a corres])ondinpr movement is ilnparted to the rocker, which in turn gives a swinging moven'lent to the arm and a consequent movement to the wheels. Wear which would produce looseness of the parts and conseiuent lost motion maybe con'ipensated lor by loosening the clampingring and advancing the nut 3S), the result heing,- that the lost motion is taken up by a single and. simple adjustment.

lhile I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it will be obvious thatthe details of construction and arrangement may be modified without departing f rom the invention, and l do not, therefore7 limit myself to such details except to the extent that they are made thc subject of specific claims.

1 claim- 1n a steering-gear, a rock-shaft provided with a central aperture and pivoted seats at either end thereof, an arm rigidly secured to said rocl -shaft7 connections between said arm and the wheel of a vehicle, means for rocking said shaft comprising a hollow rod provided with an interiorly and an exteriorly reversely threaded head, collars adapted to be threaded on said head and provided with extensions to bear upon the pivoted seats7 means for turning said rod whereby a swinging movement is given said arm and a conduit passing through said aierturcd rockshaft and rod to conduct other controlling means for the vehicle directly to the operator, substantially as described.

GEORGE A. GEMMER.

Vitnesses:

LEE HALL, W. E. WILLIAMS. 

